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ABSTRACT
A detailed assessment of Poaceae pollen morphology was performed using light and scanning electron microscopy (LM and SEM, respectively), digital image processing and multivariate data analysis of species from the montane savanna (canga vegetation) of the Serra dos Carajas region in the southeastern Amazon to discriminate the lower taxonomic levels and, accordingly, the habitat types of Poaceae. Poaceae pollen are generally stenopalynous monoporate grains with annulate and operculate pores, and distinguishing species by ornamentation using LM is impossible. Under SEM, Poaceae have mainly areolate microechinate/granulose ornamentation, except for Eragrostis maypurensis (rugulate-microechinate), Andropogon bicornis, Trichanthecium parvifolium and T. polycomum (rugulate granulose), and Rhytachne gonzalezii (microechinate). Digital image processing of ornamentation under SEM coupled with multivariate data analysis allowed for differentiation between the E. maypurensis, R. gonzalezii, A. capillaris, Otachyrium versicolor, Paspalum carinatum and T. polycomum. Distinguishing species of the wet savanna, such as Isachne polygonoides, R. gonzalezii, O. versicolor, P. virgatum, and T. polycomum, from species of the dry savanna can improve paleoecological and paleoclimatic interpretations.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the members of DIPF, GELIF, DIST, LISF, LAMSF and GABAN of Vale S.A., as well as P.L. Viana for field support and scientific discussions. This project was carried out in the National Forest of Carajás under permission from IBAMA (SISBIO 35594-2).
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes on contributors
José Tasso Felix Guimarães
JOSÉ TASSO FELIX GUIMARÃES is a research palynologist in the Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil. He received a masters and PhD degree in geology (stratigraphy and paleontology) from the Federal University of Pará (2008, 2011, respectively). His research includes palynotaxonomy, pollen morphology, modern pollen rain, paleoenvironmental reconstructions comprising the late Cenozoic.
Léa Maria Medeiros Carreira
LÉA MARIA MEDEIROS CARREIRA is a research palynologists in the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. She received her PhD in biological sciences (botany) from the National Institute for Amazonian Research in 1983. Her research included pollen morphology and palynotaxonomy.
Ronnie Alves
RONNIE ALVES received his PhD in computer science (artificial intelligence) from the University of Minho at Braga (Portugal) in 2008, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Orlando Belo. While pursuing his PhD studies, he also served as a visiting researcher in the Data Mining Group at DAIS Lab in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) led by Prof. Dr. Jiawei Han and in the Bioinformatics Research Group at Pablo de Olavide University, Sevilla (Spain) led by Prof. Dr. Jesus Aguilar-Ruiz. His research interests include bioinformatics, machine learning and data mining.
Pedro Walfir Martins e Souza Filho
PEDRO WALFIR MARTINS E SOUZA FILHO is a research geologist in the Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil. He received his PhD in geology (remote sensing) from the Federal University of Pará. His research includes remote sensing of environment.
Tereza Cristina Giannini
TEREZA CRISTINA GIANNINI is an ecology researcher at Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil. She did her PhD on ecology in the University of São Paulo (USP), with sandwich in Scotland and Holland. Her post doc was conducted on Polythecnic School (computation and digital system) also at USP. Her research includes ecological interaction, priority areas to conservation, scenarios of global change impacts, restoration and valuation of ecosystem services.
Higor Jardim Macambira
HIGOR JARDIM MACAMBIRA is a biologist with master degree in environmental sciences from the Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil.
Edilson Freitas da Silva
EDILSON FREITAS DA SILVA is a PhD student at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. His research is on modern pollen and paleobotany of the Serra dos Carajás.
Anna Christina Rio Dias
ANNA CHRISTINA RIO DIAS is a PhD student at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. His research is on modern pollen of the Serra dos Carajás.
Carla Bastista da Silva
CARLA BASTISTA DA SILVA is a research geologist in the Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil with master degree in geology (stratigraphy and paleontology) from the Federal University of Pará.
Luiza de Araújo Romeiro
LUIZA DE ARAÚJO ROMEIRO is a research forest engineer working at the Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil. His research is on modern pollen of the Serra dos Carajás.
Tarcísio Magevski Rodrigues
TARCÍSIO MAGEVSKI RODRIGUES is a full biologist in the Vale S.A. with master degree in environmental sciences from the Vale Institute of Technology, Belém, Brazil.